Vermont politics from Nancy Remsen, Terri Hallenbeck and the rest of the Burlington Free Press staff

No Smoking Downtown?

Burlington City Councilor Joan Shannon, a Democrat from Ward 5 and the chairwoman of the Ordinance Committee, has sent councilors a draft resolution that would create a “smoke-free healthy downtown.”

The intent is to free the many residents and visitors who “throng” to the Church Street Marketplace from “toxic secondhand smoke.” The resolution observes that New York City, Great Neck and Ithaca, New York, Seoul, South Korea, and Santa Clara and Santa Cruz, California have all restricted outdoor smoking.

It also says that “the vast majority” of visitors to the downtown would “enjoy” having the downtown smoke free. If the council approves, the measure would ask for “input” from the Church Street Marketplace Commission, the Burlington Business Association and the public “on how to create a smoke free downtown” that would serve everyone’s (but smokers) interests.

The draft suggests that designated areas for smoking may be created, and it asks the ordinance committee to draft an ordinance “that will create a smoke free downtown.”

The effort is likely to be seen as yet another back door method of moving loud and non-touristy youth off the Marketplace. The last attempt took the form of an ordinance that would have outlawed sitting within six feet of the front of buildings on streets that cross the Marketplace. It failed. The articulate poor and their supporters persuaded the Ordinance Committee to back off.

11 Responses to No Smoking Downtown?

Most likely this effort will get passed and Vermont will become more and more of a Nanny state. People smoke, people drink, people swear; its a fact of life. I would rather see Church Street cleaned up in other ways such as the young/old loiterers, etc. I don’t go to Church Street often and the reason is not because people smoke there but rather that I am sick of being asked for money by those who are just hanging around.

Is there no end to the audacity of some who feel they have to care for all as we are not capable of thinking for ourselves .I am sure tourists will find restaurants and shops outside the marketplace to spend their dirty dollars >

I will simply not visit downtown Burlington if this passes. I have respect for non-smokers but as a smoker I am unwilling to be criminalized by a bunch of uptight control freaks. To declare downtown a smoke free zone is completely over the top. Watch the economy of Burlington continue to slide downhill as more and more restrictions are put into place. Joan Shannon, get a life and stop interfering with the lives of others.

I don’t feel this is unreasonable, the church street marketplace is designed to draw tourists as much as it is to serve the local inhabitants. Smoking negatively affects the drawing power of church st. I can’t count the number of times I was walking up the street through plumes of smoke, especially out front of the mall where there is a large congregation of loiterers chain smoking. I am all for the freedoms of others, as long as those freedoms do not affect other people so swearing and drinking are fine, they do not directly impact anyone else negatively but unfortunately smoking does affect other people. I agree with VTLadyinRed that personally one of the reasons I avoid church st is the beggars but I also avoid it because of the smokers as well. I can’t see how eliminating smoking on church st will reduce the economy of downtown in any significant way aside from reducing cigarette sales?

Nice clear article, John. Several points to make – without outlawing tobacco, how far can the law go? “A smoke-free downtown” indeed. Somewhere between 20 and 30 percent of adults still smoke, Ms. Shannon. That’s the way it is. Why not institute a “smoking section” as they used to in theaters? If the city wants more control on who can hang around on Church Street, why don’t they just outlaw “asking for money” or “bothering people”? Probably because it makes it sort of a police state.
I saw a policeman give two $50 fines to a respectable woman with a dog and a respectable man with one foot on his bicycle pedal. They both did not know they were breaking a rule. The policeman insisted that it was unfair to give warnings to some, tickets to others. So he gave tickets to all. I would give a lot of warnings, and take down names. If someone repeatedly violated a rule, I’d give a ticket.
On secondhand smoke – I know there are statistics which state that thousands and thousands of people die from secondhand smoke, but I don’t believe it. In the 1950s and 1960s, all of us were exposed to secondhand smoke constantly, and we’re all still here. If the stories were true, we’d all be dead. So maybe it’s a little exaggerated about secondhand smoke.
Church Street is great. What you want to cut down on is the yelling, rude behavior, and the all-day loiterers. I don’t think you can do this with blanket laws about smoking, bicycles, dogs, music, or photographers. You need police who can identify when one person is bothering another. But a personal habit like smoking, or cologne, which is detectable by someone ten feet downwind – can you outlaw it? I wouldn’t.

Wake up, people. The Free Press just reported that a whopping 86% of Chittenden County residents (82% of Vermonters and Canadians) do not smoke. The December, 2010 Surgeon General’s report states, “There is no safe level of exposure to tobacco smoke. Any exposure to tobacco smoke – even an occasional cigarette or exposure to secondhand smoke – is harmful.” Why should a minority be allowed to continue to harm the majority? Does anyone know the #1 killer in the U.S.? Yes, tobacco smoke. The Journal of the American Medical Association states “there are more than 64,000 deaths a year attributed to environmental tobacco smoke. Secondhand smoke is the third most preventable cause of death.” Wake up, Burlington.

A smoking ban would allow those of us who avoid church street a chance to get out and enjoy the area. Its necessary to do it this way because some people lack respect for others and don’t seem to care when and where they smoke. There are children and pregnant women as well as people with health problems such as asthma who cant walk anywhere on church street without being surrounded by smokers. It can be overwhelming to try avoiding the smoke when its everywhere. My wife and I can’t enjoy ourselves the same way due to the fact that people are just plane disrespectful. She has one lung but would people care? The answer is “No!” unless action is taken through law people won’t get the point. A smoking ban wouldn’t hurt businesses as bad as people may think if compromises are made that allow for a healthier environment but still allow the smokers out there to smoke in designated areas where their habits won’t effect those of us who don’t want to smoke.

…and the facts are simple…the tobacco industry funds the research that attempts to prove that second-hand smoke has little to no effect on people so keep that in mind…

Just another reason for not spending money in Burlington, Vt. I used to enjoy Church Street. Lack of disabled parking spots especially for events prohibit me. Lack of handicap access toilets. I do not enjoy the aggressive pan-handling and with the possibility of an outdoor smoking ban. Forget it.It is become obvious to me Burlington does not want people like me spending money on Church Street. I don’t go where I am not wanted.

How about banning people with the flu, or with colds from Church St? Anyone spotted coughing or blowing their nose should get a ticket. I suggest checkpoints on Main St and Pearl, making sure those who enter the area have a clean bill of health.